Enterprise
by swisstony
Summary: This fic follows the new Crew and Captain of the Enterprise as they confront the greatest threat to the existence of Starfleet and Earth. Feat Q, Wesley and various other TNG,DS9,VOY characters and the Borg. Reviews are really, really welcome: D
1. Open your eyes

I don't own any of this stuff I have zero money cus I'm a student so don't like sew me lol...

Snow Patrol also own the lyrics lol...

Bruteaous: Thanks 4 all the tips I Hope U like this: )

_All this feels strange and untrue  
And I won't waste a minute without you  
My bones ache, my skin feels cold  
And I'm getting so tired and so old_

The anger swells in my guts  
And I won't feel these slices and cuts  
I want so much to open your eyes  
Cos I need you to look into mine 

Tell me that you'll open your eyes

Snow Patrol- Open your eyes

**Enterprise**

The first time he laid his eyes on her he knew...he knew that she was the woman who would change his life. It was a strange thing his first encounter with her it had happened completely by chance, he'd been exploring dimensions and time lines in the one that he had discovered her there had been no accident at the Academy he'd never gone travelling, he joined star fleet and he was a Captain. He was the Captain of a modest Explorer class vessel and engaged, much to his surprise to Leanna Riker the eldest daughter of his friends Will Riker and Deanna Troi. In the time line that he found himself inhabiting his friends had been married with Leanna when they had both been assigned to the Enterprise, they had three children Lenara who had apparently grown up on the Enterprise with him and appeared to be his childhood 'sweetheart', another daughter Kestra and a son Danton.

He had only wanted to experience this reality for a few moments before experiencing something new, but they she had entered his office. He had closed his eyes ready to leave his form so he hadn't seen her at first, but he had heard her she had broken his concentration...concentration was of the utmost importance when he was attempting to leave a body. He couldn't concentrate when she was there while he knew someone was watching him, he had opened his eyes and his life had changed forever. It was that simple one moment he had been free unfettered by life travelling throughout time and the galaxy, occasionally dropping in on his Mother and his friends and the next...he was in love.

Love at first sight was something that he had never quite understood or believed in. Truthfully he wasn't quite sure what love was...no...no he knew what love was he loved his Mother and the memory of his Father he loved his friends and he knew that they loved him, but this was different this felt like liquid fire melting through his veins, he felt like laughing and being sick at the same time he couldn't take his eyes off of her.

From that moment on he had been trapped. He couldn't got back to the Traveler, that was of life seemed empty to him. Once he had met her it seemed like there was no other choice he decided to stay. At first he had wrestled with himself was it right to permanently inhabit the version of himself that he had now found himself in. They were the same man and they shared each others memories blending together becoming something different the longer he remained. He was no longer the version of the man he had jumped into, neither was he the version of himself that had thought about leaving with his eyes closed, from the moment his eyes had opened he'd become something different a new...him.

He had quickly settled into his new life. He had always wondered what it would have been like to be a Captain and in command of his own Star ship and now he knew, it suited him well and most importantly it felt right. However he didn't let that side track him for long he remembered what he had stayed behind for, who he had stayed behind for...Nelia.


	2. Fascination

I don't own any of this stuff. it's all owned by Paramount : D

_Easy living,  
Killed the young dudes,  
In the high boots  
Teenage,  
In the pace age,  
That's when love burns,  
Now it's your turn._

Fascination  
Fascination  
It's just the way we feel.

Alphabeat- Fascination

She gazed at her reflection in the mirror. 'Stop fussing you look great.' Her friend's voice buzzed in her ear. She knew her room mate was right, she also sensed the tone in her friend's voice...it was impatient. She didn't take it to heart her friend had more than a justified right to be feeling impatient, they had been invited to one of the most sort after parties on campus.

'Lele please I replicated are costumes myself, they're so 1980's.' Nelia tried to suppress her desire to roll her large peridot coloured eyes but finally lost the battle. She raised her eyebrow biting her tongue as she took once last look at herself in the full length mirror, she had never seen her hair so big it was gravity defyingly huge and beyond curly and coated in something called 'hair spray' and 'moose', which in her opinion stank. She wore a pair of black mess tights, white plastic high-heels a thigh length hot pink 'ra-ra' skirt and a top, which was to hideous to expose camouflaged safely under a three-quarter length white plastic belted jacket.

'Here drink this it's take the edge off.' Her friend motioned thrusting a glass of neat Vodka in her face. Nelia took the glass obediently swallowing down the clear liquid, which burned as it filled her mouth, rather than taking the edge off her nerves the Vodka had filled her with the overwhelming urge to be sick leaving her with a humming headache.

'Come on! We need to finish the bottle!' Nelia's glass was filled once again and this time she swallowed the Vodka down in one big gulp, it was an acquired taste but it was growing on her. After a few more glasses, the bottle was finished and before Nelia knew it she was out of their room. She felt herself stumbling and then being dragged along by her eager friend, the room seemed to spin and she wondered why she couldn't feel her feet, she'd been drunk before but this felt different.

'Okay we're here, Lele try to stand up straight or something huh, they are never going to let us in if they see how wasted you are.' She felt herself being brushed down and straightened up, she was grinning stupidly.

'Lele for God sake!'

'Okay, okay I'm fine...fineee.' Nelia hiccuped pushing her friend away. She could feel herself sobering up a little, before she knew it she found herself standing in a crowded dorm room, which was filled with the ambiance of the decade, which matched they're clothes.

'Oh there's Aiden! How do I look...urgh how would you know you can't even see straight!'

'Jen...Jen no don't leave me!' Nelia reached out in her double vision for her friend, but it was to late she'd already vanished into the swirling mix of disco lights and swaying strangers.

'Hey, do you wanna drink.' A male voice questioned in her ear, it wasn't the best offer she had ever had but it wasn't the worst and she was thirsty.

What seemed like hours later Nelia found herself slumped on a sofa with a plate filled with food from the buffet on her lap and another drink in her hand she watched as the room started to thin. Jen , Aiden and the boy who had bought her drinks for most of the night had all already left. She shouldn't have come she had a mid-term in the morning, and her feet hurt she shouldn't have danced so much she frowned to herself. Nelia struggled to get to her feet shifting awkwardly she attempted to gain her balance.

'You're finally leaving then?' She tried to conceal her smile when she was joined on the sofa by a tall man, well he looked as if he would have been tall if he'd been standing up she guessed.

'I've been watching you.' The stranger motioned with a smirk, Nelia raised her eyebrow which only served to broaden his smirk into a dazzling smile, he had the whitest teeth and the darkest skin.

'Excuse me?'

'No, no it's not how it sounds I was just...' He paused thinking for a moment before grinning once again.

'Let's just start again.' He held his hand out in front of him, Nelia paused studying his face for a few moments she'd never seen him on campus before she had a good memory for names and faces and his face in particular she was sure she would have remembered.

'I haven't see you before around campus.' He chuckled never lifting his hazel gaze from her face, the way he looked at her made her feel...she wasn't sure what it made her feel she'd never felt like that before.

'You wouldn't have I'm ahh not from around here.' He chuckled, she raised her eyebrow once again he was strange but alluring and funny.

'That's a nasty little tick you have there.' He mused running his nimble fingers over her arched brow, generally she wouldn't have let anyone touch her within moments of meeting them but this was, he was different she felt at ease in a way she had never felt before. Giggling she pushed his hand away.

'I'm Nelia, Nelia Hunter, and now you're supposed to tell me your name.' He paused again taking her hand in hers' shaking it gently.

'Flash, a lot people call me Flash.' She bit her lip frowning for a few seconds before she quickly finished the contents of her glass.

'Well Flash,' She mused placing the plate that had been sitting on her lap uneaten on the side table next to her, holding her hands out expectantly in front of her. Getting up off the sofa Flash took her hands in his and lifted her up on to her feet, without any difficulty.

'This party is lame do you wanna walk me home?'


	3. Annie, let's not wait

Star trek is owned by Paramount : D

The lyrics r the Guillemots...lol...

_I found something crying; it was my soul,_

_I fed it milk so it wouldn't grow old,_

_We crossed the borderline at dawn,_

_And woke up in a field of corn,_

_My Father told me I was late,_

_I better start oiling the gate,_

_Said that those who rush shall fall,_

_But I don't want to wait for waves I don't want to wait at all._

Guillemots- Annie, let's not wait

_'Oh Nelia Hunter.' He breathed as he ran his hand across the smooth surface of her cheek._

_'Poor, poor Nelia you have know idea of what's waiting for you do you?' Flash gazed down at her as she slept, sighing hard he studied her sleeping features, he had to admit that she was perfect it was hard considering...A smile graced his features, he wondered to himself if the others could see her now would they really call her 'the abomination'? But that was his problem, they would see her as they had always seen her it was only his opinion that had been changed, and that was because he loved her. That's why he had to leave._

_'I promised him that I would keep you safe, I never fulfilled any promise before but this one...I have to...' Hesitating briefly Flash reached out pressing his hand over Nelia's beating heart, he grinned again as he felt the beats._

_'What ain't there can't be found.' A light green glow suddenly flowed from Nelia's chest into his hand, it only took a second and when it was over she seemed no different for the change. Flash brushed a ringlet of curly scarlet hair away from her sleeping eyes._

_'I love you Nelia Hunter,' He whispered against her ear._

_'...And when you need me I'll be here.' Flash stared at her sleeping form one last time drinking in the sight of her, before finally raising his hand clicking his fingers and vanishing in a flash of light._

Nelia's peridot gaze fluttered open, she stared up at the ceiling above her with a heavy sigh the realisation hit her like a ton of bricks this would be the last time. Her smooth forehead creased into a frown, this would be the last time that she would ever wake up in this bed, in this room the last time that she would be greeted by the ceiling looming over her. The truth was she'd been having second thoughts since the moment she had decided to sell the house, but in the back of her mind she knew that it was the right thing to do. She couldn't stay there any longer it was too hard, there were so many memories that it just made the pain worse it made her longing worse. Nelia hardened her jaw line, today was the day she would pack up the last of her things close the front door behind her and hand over the access keys, it was time for someone else to live here now.

'Good morning.' A familiar voice filled her ears breaking her from her concentration, shaking her out of her thoughts.

'Good morning.' Nelia mimicked back coyly, her frown being replaced by a broad smile as she sat up in her old bed.

'I know it's kinda late but you didn't get much sleep last night, so I disabled your alarm.'

'Wesley!' Nelia giggled reaching out grabbing him by the hand pulling him down onto the bed planting a warm kiss on his lips as she moved. Much to her disappointment he pulled away first, adjusting himself sitting next to her on the edge of the bed grasping her slender hands in his own.

'How are you feeling?' Wes questioned tentatively watching her face intently, sighing hard Nelia leaned back against her pillows.

'Sad.' She whispered softly.

'Hollow.' She saw the concern fall over his features at the sound of her words.

'...and engaged.' Nelia giggled, wiggling her third finger on her right hand displaying the white gold heart shaped emerald engagement ring, which now sat there.

'So you like it then?' Wes chuckled as he leaned forward kissing her again, he couldn't get enough of kissing her.

'No I hate it can't you see the look of disappointment on my face?' Nelia teased, it seemed to hurt less when she was with him she felt a little like her old self again.

'You better give it back then.' Wes motioned casually fighting hard to suppress a smile.

'No way this is mine and you're mine too, there's no way you're ever getting away from me now Wesley Crusher.' She informed pouting attempting her sternest face as she wrapped her slender arms around her finance's strong neck planting a kiss on the tip of his nose.

'Damn, that's a real shame.' Nelia's eyes suddenly widened a little before he had the chance to stop her she had slipped out of his grasp and was out of the bed.

'You disabled my alarm!' She motioned frowning hard, twisting to face her Wes fixed her with a confused stare.

'You needed the rest you haven't been sleeping, you were making yourself ill.' He answered her question defending his actions.

'Oh no...no it was sweet.' She reassured him resting her hands on either side of his face planting another quick peck on his lips.

'...it was so sweet and I'm so grateful I did need the sleep, but what about Quark?'

'Quark? What about Quark?' Nelia didn't respond to his question, grabbing a few items from one of the open packing cases, which filled the bedroom she dashed into the bathroom the double doors closing behind her.

'I asked him to come here to help me negotiate the sale of the house!' Her voice floated through the bathroom door mixing with the sound of running water.

'He'll probably be here any second, he's probably here already standing outside and nothing is ready we haven't even finished packing!'

'We'll maybe that's a good thing, I mean do you really think Quark is the right person to help you sell your home?' A second later Nelia reappeared a thin white towel wrapped around her slim form her scarlet hair wet and dripping trailing down her spine. Wesley stared at her for a few seconds, god she was beautiful.

'Of course he's the right person, he was one of my Mother's oldest friend's.' Nelia replied absent mindedly as she searched the familiar room for her hairbrush.

'Nelia he's a Ferengi there not exactly trustworthy at the best of times, and Quark has to be the worst one out of all of them.'

'You know something you can be really judgemental sometimes, Wes.' Nelia shot back playfully, giving a gasp of triumph having finally managed to locate her missing hairbrush.

'Nelia I'm not being judgemental...'

Running the brush through her hair she zoned out a little from what was being said to her rolling her eyes, she'd heard this speech before and he was being judgemental!

'Well I don't care what you say Quark is my friend, he was my Mother's friend and he's negotiating the sale of this house! And besides I have to give him back this.' She exclaimed holding up a large Tongo wheel, Wesley's frown darkened at the sight of the Tongo wheel. Before Wes had the chance to fire off a response the front door chimes filled the room, she fixed him with an expectant stare.

'Would you get that I need to put some clothes on.' Nelia informed pushing him off the bed hand him her empty coffee cup, which had a PAD stuck to the bottom of it.

'You're messy.'

'And you're getting the door.' She shot back with a mischievous grin grabbing Wesley by the fabric of his faded grey t-shirt pushing him out of the bedroom, letting her towel drop to the floor in front of him giving him a cheeky wink before shutting the doors in his face. Wes shook his head and sighed the front door chimes ringing again throughout the house. He glanced down at the coffee cup in his hand glancing down at the PAD, which was stuck to the bottom prizing it off with great difficulty as he made his way towards the front door, glancing at the words, which were written on it absent-mindedly as he moved. Three things on the PAD caught his attention Nelia's name followed closely by Captain and then Enterprise.

'Nelia, what's this?'


	4. Foundations

Star trek is owned by Paramount : D

The lyrics belong to Kate Nash.

_You said I must eat so many lemons cus I am so bitter,_

_I said 'I'd rather be with your friends mate cus they are much fitter,_

_Yes it was childish and you got aggressive,_

_And I must admit that I was a bit scared,_

_But it gives me thrills to wind you up._

_My finger tips are holding onto the cracks in our foundation,_

_And I know that I should let go but I can't._

_And everytime we fight I know it's not right,_

_Everytime that you're upset and I smile._

_I know I should forget, but I can't._

_Foundations-Kate Nash._

He'd changed...

He'd been the first alien she had ever met. Maybe that was the reason why she had fallen in love with him so fast, he was exotic and different and that had been intoxicating to her at first. That may have been what drew her to him at first, but it had slowly become apparent that there had been a much stronger link between them. 

She had been the most privileged woman in her society the eldest daughter of the Regent, there was nothing she couldn't do couldn't have, but she had given it all up for him without even a backwards glance. She had gone from being in love for the first time, to suddenly finding herself unemployed and married with a step-daughter. She had never once questioned her actions, until the day he had changed. Now all Kastra felt she did was question herself and her decisions, had it happened to soon, did she really know him as well as she thought she had, did they get married too young...did he still love her?

The truth was that, that was the only question she had ever really needed an answer to. She had never stopped loving him, but she knew in her heart that with everyday that past he fell a little more out of love with her. There were times when Kastra had felt like a stranger in her own marriage...no she was wrong he was the stranger...she felt as if the man she had married was gone. The stranger who now shared her bed looked like him he sounded like him they even shared the same name, but Kastra knew the man she had married was gone.

He'd explained it all to her what would happen to him that he would change in some way, but he had never prepared her for this. They had gone to that awful Commission and she had held his hand while they drugged him and prepared his body for implantation, she had kissed him not really understanding that when she saw him the next time, when she'd held his hand again the man that she loved would be dead. The worse thing was that it had been him, he had killed himself. Something inside of her had died that day as well her innocence.

For the first time in her whole life Kastra had cried. She had clutched at her body and mourned for the man that she loved and the love that she'd lost.

It had now been a month since her world had been turned upside down and Kastra still found herself grappling with the situation. He had tried at first to reassure her he had touch her and kissed her and attempted to initiate love-making, but she had bristled at such intimacy and finally he had stopped. Kastra couldn't stand him touching her because it was the touch of a stranger. Even his kisses were different, before he had been tentative and hesitant but now he was confident and every kiss seemed to be leading somewhere the way it never had before. 

He'd started to stay up for most of the night, he often accidentally woke her up when he slipped into bed next to her in the early hours of the morning. His tastes had changed as well he'd started to listen to the music of forgotten Romulan composers and Klingon opera, he'd also started to favour a drink called a Black hole he'd encouraged her to try it once and she'd found it distasteful. 

Kastra felt as if her heart was breaking...

He'd changed...

_His heart was beating faster than he had ever thought possible he felt as if it was about to burst from his chest. He'd been preparing for this moment his entire life, and now he felt at the last possible moment he was going to fail. He wondered if it was normal to feel like this, had everyone felt this way?_

_The drugs were kicking in he could feel himself fading a little his head becoming cloudy. Desperately he stared up at her studying her features, her large emotive grey eyes, her wide smile, her hair, which was the colour of ripe corn, her prefect completion. He clutched at her hand tightly, he felt guilty he knew that she did fully understand what was happening and what it would mean for him...for them. The guilt he felt was due to the fact that he had never taking the time to explain it to her, when they had first met he hadn't wanted to in case he had scared her away. He hadn't even had time to take her away on a proper honeymoon, they were only married a week before he'd received the emergency message to return the Trill homeworld. He'd wanted to tell her in those last fleeting moments together that he was 'sorry' and that he 'loved her'. But he never got the chance, before he even opened his mouth to speak she had silenced him with a fleeting kiss. Shortly after they had wheeled him away, he'd kept his gaze on Kastra until the very last moment. He lost conciousness for a few moments, when he opened his eyes again Ezri was there lying unconscious in a bio-bed next to him._

_'Can she...hear me?' He'd asked fixing his gaze upon her, he knew she was ill that's why he had requested her symbiont but it still startled him how frail she looked lying next to him. He'd closed his eyes tightly as the symbiont had been removed from Ezri he didn't want to see it, he didn't want to see her die she had been so good and welcoming to him she was his friend. At first he had felt nothing in the darkness with his eyes closed, but then..._

_Then he had felt it as the symbiont was implanted inside of him, for the first time in his life he felt whole and complete. The process was slow at least to him it seemed slow, the memories and experience began to fill him up. He knew what it was like to die the fear, the pain the release he knew that Ezri had felt the release she had been in so much pain and now it was over. He knew what it was like to love and be loved, excluding his own experience he had the memories of being married seven times. The confidence filled him up inside and he opened his eyes, he saw the world differently in a mixture as if he was seeing the everything for the tenth time, while at the same time for the first time through a new pair of eyes. All so confusing he had so many thoughts, so many voices whiling around his head, where there had only been him there were now many._

_He glanced over at Ezri once again, he had been her and now he was someone else._

_He was someone else now, he was no longer Martof Zindane he would be now until the next time he lay in this bio-bed Martof Dax._

_He had changed..._


	5. The Stars

Star trek is owned by Paramount : D

The lyrics belong to Patrick Wolf.

I really hope this measures up, I sure this chapter is crap lol...It took me ages, so I hope n e one who reads it enjoys it:D

_Mama, I saw the stars tonight,_

_Orion, the plow, are burning bright,_

_Cannot recall of where I drove,_

_An empty lane, the lonely road,_

_Home..._

_I saw, I saw my star tonight,_

_Mama, the stars are burning bright,_

_And it came clear, that the light years,_

_Are here at last..._

_At left, at right,_

_The death, the light,_

_As all unseen, came into sight,_

_The pull, the scales,_

_The dark, the light,_

_Mama, Papa, Voila! The night!_

The Stars-Patrick Wolf

'I'm not sure,' Garak mumbled to himself as he stepped back, his eyes moving over the young man in front of him.

'...something is definitely missing.' He clucked to himself, running his hand across the scaly skin of his chin.

'Ah Mum, I told you we just should have replicated my uniform.' The young man frowned as he stared past Garak who was hovering around him, casting a desperate glance in his Mother's direction. Until the moment when she was addressed by her son, Captain Kira Nerys had been hovering in the corner of her quarters trying to keep her tears at bay. 

'Nonsense, no nephew of mine is going to wear a replicated uniform!' Shrugging her shoulders Kira simply chuckled in response.

'I think I know what's missing.' Nog informed reaching for an object, which sat on the grey metal coffee table in front of him. Getting up from the electric blue sofa, the Ferengi made his way across the space of Kira's quarters, reaching out he attached a combadge to the chest young half Bajoran half Cardassian male.

'Well it's not the uniform I would have preferred you to wear, but...'

'You look so grown up!' Kira gasped interrupting Garak mid sentence, before bursting into a flood of involuntary tears.

'Grip it.'

'No...no, no harder, and lean against me.'

'You told me we were going to the Hoobishan baths!' Nelia complained rolling her eyes, tightening her grip on the baseball bat she clutched in her hands.

'We've been to the Hoobishan baths hundreds of times on Trill and in the holosuites, I wanted to do something different. I want to teach you how to play baseball.' Wes commented, grabbing Nelia playfully around her slim waist pulling her body tight against his own.

'Don't exaggerate!' She giggled, as he wrapped his strong arms around her petite form gripping her forearms his body flush against her back. 

'I suppose baseball has it's advantages as well.' She grinned, as she tilted her head stealing a kiss from her fiancés' open mouth.

'Stop trying to distract me, concentrate.' Nelia nodded a wry smile forming over her lips, as she turned her body. Wes had programmed everything perfectly, they were standing in a perfect baseball diamond, which seemed to stretch on forever. The diamond was illuminated by ten large spot lights, but the power of the lights did nothing to diminish the stars, which blazed above them in a dark midnight sky. 

'Okay we'll try a few practice swings, then I'll let you have it.' Wes informed, guiding her body against his own in a fluid motion. Once, twice, three times.

'That's it you've got it! Now remember keep your eye on the ball and follow through with the bat.' A wave of guilt suddenly washed over Nelia, he was being so sweet and earnest he was so desperate to teach her she couldn't bring herself to tell him that she already knew how to play baseball, her Mother had taught her and she'd been on the women's team briefly at the Academy. She decided to keep her lips sealed. 

'So, have you thought any more about the Enterprise?' Wes quizzed her, a ball and baseball mitt appearing next to him suspended in thin air. Nelia's brow furrowed at his question.

'I don't want to discuss this.' He shrugged his shoulders, tossing the ball into the mitt a few times. Nelia watched him surreptitiously, she knew him to well to know he wouldn't let the subject drop there.

'Say it!' She exclaimed, giving way to his wall of silence.

'Say what?' Wes mused, raising his eyebrows as if taking aback by her demands.

'Don't Wes, don't play games with me just say what you're dying to say and get it over with.' He opened his mouth and then closed it abruptly again, taking her by surprise he threw the ball at her instead. Nelia's reactions had always been fast and this time was no exception, she swung the bat and hit the ball as hard as she could knocking it high up into the black sky. Open mouthed Wesley watched the ball fly.

'You're not ready.' He replied turning back to face her, his reaction surprised her.

'That's why you're considering turning down the position, right?' Nelia glanced down at her trainers, that was only part of the reason. Wesley interpreted her silence as an answer to his question. 

'You can't let your own indecision hold you back. You've been offered the assignment that every Starfleet officers dreams about, I've dreamt about it all my life. You haven't just been offered a position on the Enterprise, you've been offered the position...the captain. You're not only the second woman ever to have been offered the Captain's chair, but you're also the youngest person. Nelia you're only twenty five! Do you know how incredibly...'

'Lucky I am, I already know.' She interrupted, cutting Wesley dead before he could finish his sentence. He smiled at her, shaking his head he moved towards her.

'I was going to say gifted.' He grinned, stopping just in front of her.

'This is you're dream Wes, it's not mine and it never has been.' She pouted, placing his hand under her chin he raised her head up their gazes meeting.

'You're right it is my dream,' He mused, catching her arm stopping her before she had the chance to look away.

'But this is you're...our reality. Nelia you can't possibly turn this down, it's to big.'

'I know.' She breathed, rolling her eyes as she spoke.

'So?' Wes questioned expectantly, sighing hard Nelia raised her eyebrow.

'So, I'll think about it...again.' She grinned, watching him intently as he smiled brightly back at her. 

They had both known what she had meant, and the very next day Nelia sent a transcript to Starfleet head quarters accepting the position as Captain of the Enterprise.

'What's with the corporeal bodies?' Flash questioned, as he studied his human form.

'I want to show you something.' He couldn't help but raise his eyebrow at the comment from the female next to him.

'No offence Mandy, but I don't think I want to see it.' Flash chuckled, trying to lighten the mood the atmosphere had been oppressive. His smile soon faded, the woman next to him fixed his with a stare. Her hazel gazed was filled with a burning madness, which Flash as a Q had never encountered before. Okay, so most of the Q's who in habited the Continuum on a regular basis were mad, he was a few shades off normal himself, but she was something else. Her biggest problem was that she had been born and raised a human, she had felt and lived and loved. It must have been quite an adjustment, and one that had driven her mad in the process, because no-one ever felt, or lived or loved in the Continuum. 

She was beautiful though, and being in the Continuum had only refined her bloom. Her hair, which had been a light shade of blonde when she had first arrived now resembled the colour and consistency of spun gold. Her skin in her corporeal form had taken on a flawless translucent glow, the same glow, which surrounded all the Q's while they inhabited the Continuum.

'Amanda,' Amanda Rogers reached out grabbing his hand clutching it in her own, dragging him forward cutting his sentence short. As she pulled him forward the darkness around him began to fade and to his surprise Flash found himself standing on one of the platforms of an old Borg cube, Borg Drones surrounded them.

'Mandy, what are we doing on this old relic?' She turned her back on him, throwing her long golden tresses over one shoulder as she studied one of the Drones. Amanda ran her delicate fingers over the Drones metallic implants.

'Do you know why the Borg failed?' Flash raised his eyebrow, one answer rang out in his head 'they failed because they weren't Q'. He bit his lip however, there was something about the way she was acting that told him she wouldn't welcome his comment.

'They inevitably failed because they strove to improve weak humanoid flesh, and as we both know that is an impossibility.' He could comprehend the whole of time and existence, but Flash found himself baffled by her behaviour.

'Amanda I don't understand...' Amanda raised herself up from her crouching position, placing her hand over his mouth.

'It's not for you to understand.' She mused, her voice had the quality of silk about it.

'I have improved them, I have eradicated their weaknesses.' He pushed her hand away stepping back from her, unable to disguise the look of horror branded across his features.

'Don't look at me like that,' Amanda grinned, folding her arms across her chest defensively.

'...you have you're project, Q has his, as does Junior, so why shouldn't I have mine?' Flash couldn't argue with her logic.

'A fair point, but Mandy why the Borg?'

'Because they could have been the greatest threat to mankind, but instead they were thwarted by a weak leader.' She turned her face away from him for a few seconds, he stared at the back of her head listening to the sound of tearing flesh.

'Mandy!' Concern an emotion, which seldom ever effected any Q, suddenly gripped Flash. He reached out for her hand, but before he had the chance to touch her she had turned her face back to meet him.

'What have you done? What have you done to yourself, Amanda?' The shock was evident in his voice, one side of her flawless face had been disfigured by mechanical devices, which had torn through the skin of her cheek. For the first time he was struck by the full force of her insanity, and all he could think about was Nelia. She reached out for him, but Flash rejected her pulling away clicking his fingers he vanished with a blaze of white light leaving Amanda once again alone.

'So, that's where you're hiding her.' She chuckled to herself.

The vision faded, reaching out Ben closed the doors of the case, which contained the Orb of time. He was still confused by what he had seen, had it been the past or the future? It had been his past, he had seen himself being fitted for his Starfleet Academy uniform. But he couldn't relate to what had followed. He frowned, he knew how to use the Orb his Mother had shown him, he should only have seen events, which related directly to him.

'The Emissary...' His brow smoothed, as his voice escaped his throat in a whisper. Like most Bajorans although he was not exactly like most Bajorans owning to the fact that he was half Cardassian, Ben was deeply religious he believed in the power of the Profits. 

'...the Emissary must have sent this vision to him.'

Ben's eyes opened suddenly, he found himself staring into the darkness of his bedroom. It was the dream again, it had been plaguing him for months. A new element had been added, in the form of the Orb of time and the Emissary.

He felt sure that it was a message, he just wasn't sure what it all meant...yet.


	6. I still remember

_And I could feel our days where becoming nights,_

_I could feel your heart beating across the grass,_

_We should have run,I would go with you anywhere._

I still remember- Bloc Party

From the moment she had opened her eyes that morning all Nelia had felt was dread, it was all consuming. It was strange, but she had found herself suddenly recalling the entrance exams she had taken for Starfleet Academy. She had not only been the youngest ever applicant, but she also had the highest test scores on record to date. Nelia had however failed the physiological test on her first attempt, it was something that still haunted her even now. When confronted with her greatest fear she had failed to face it, and today was the day that she knew she would have to.

'Just promise me one thing,' The sound of Wesley's voice snapped her back into reality. He reached out for her slender hand raising it up against his mouth he kissed it, she couldn't help but smile.

'Wes!' She chuckled giving him a playful push, the cloud that had been hovering over her lifted a little.

'...tonight at the formal dinner please don't load me plate up with Klingon Gagh, it's not that I don't like it...' He paused glancing at Nelia from the corner of his eye studying her features cautiously, his plan to take her mind off the night's forthcoming events had worked.

'_Torgud _Gagh...' Wesley mused, struggling with the Klingon language.

'...you know, the one that jumps in the back of your throat has an interesting after taste. It's just overall I prefer my food to be dead before I consume it.' The mask of worry and pressure she had been wearing for most of the day evaporated, as she suddenly burst into a fit of giggles.

'Meshta Gagh jumps,' Nelia smirked as she raised herself up on her tip-toes wrapping her slender arms around Wesley's neck, pressing her body against his own.

'..._Torgud _Gagh wiggles.' She corrected him.

'Wiggles huh, I'm sure it jumped when I ate it.' He informed, stealing a quick kiss from her open mouth.

He watched as her mood suddenly deflated, her arms slipped away from his neck her features suddenly taking on a nervous quality as she moved out of his grasp.

'So,' Wesley breathed, running his hand across the pips on the collar of Nelia's dress uniform.

'...are you ready to face your destiny, Nelia Hunter.' He teased her, watching a fleeting smile grace her lips.

Taking her once again by the hand, Wesley lead Nelia towards the front door of their home. 'Computer lights.' He called out as the front door parted in front of them, his command plunging their home into darkness behind them.

'Wait!' Nelia cried out in the darkness, suddenly remembering her absent engagement ring.

'Nelia?'

'Wes you go I'll catch you up, I'll be five minutes.' She informed not waiting for his response, she turned on her heels and dashed into their bedroom.

It didn't take Nelia long to locate her AWOL engagement ring, even in the dark. The ring was still sitting on her dressing table where she'd placed it, while she'd been changing into her dress uniform. She couldn't help but smile as the cool metal slipped against her skin.

Without warning the memories suddenly came flooding back.

_'You should be careful.' The middle aged Trill female informed._

_'Don't start this again, Ma.' Nelia motioned, as she straightened up the pillows behind her Mother's back._

_'Look Nelia,' She reached out taking her daughter by surprise as she tightly gripped both Nelia's hands in her own, catching her eye line holding her attention._

_'...you know that I have never tried to interfere with any of your previous relationships,' Nelia wanted to react to her Mother's statement, but she bit her tongue instead. _

_'...but there's a first time for everything, and I've got to tell you that I'm really not sure about Wesley.' Ezri Dax gazed at the expression on her daughter's face she had seen it before mostly when Nelia had been a teenager, she knew that it meant whatever she said now Nelia wasn't going to listen._

_'He's a nice boy Nelia, he is.' She breathed as she lay back against the pillows, her fail body sinking into the warmth of the fabric._

_'But he's not for you.' Ezri breathed, running her hand across the smooth flawless skin of Nelia's cheek._

_'You haven't aged,' She mused wistfully, her mind wandering._

_'...you might want to do something about that.' She whispered, flashing Nelia a knowing smile._

_'You won't ever be able to tell him you know.' Ezri mused, returning back to her original train of thought. Nelia knew, she just stubbornly fought not to believe it._

_'And no relationship can survive when it's based on lies, believe me I know.' Ezri informed, she had changed over the years she'd grown and was more comfortable in her own skin she'd learned to integrate and not be ruled by the personalities of the previous Dax hosts._

_'Julian.' Nelia whispered, the forbidden name escaping her lips before she had, had the chance to censor herself. Anxiously she searched for a negative reaction in her Mother's features, but none appeared instead Ezri simply shrugged._

_'Exactly. And you know what happened there, I just don't want the same thing to happen to you and Wesley...' Ezri paused, closing her mouth there had been more she had wanted to say but she swallowed the words down she knew Nelia wasn't ready to hear them and she wasn't entirely sure she was ready to say them herself. Ezri's features, which had acquired a serene quality, suddenly grew serious. _

_'Let's make a pact, you know like the ones we use to make when you were little.' The Trill female giggled, her mood lifting. Nelia rolled her eyes, smiling as she held out her hand extending her little finger linking it with Ezri's own slender digit._

_'Whatever happens we will...'_

Click.

The sound behind her snapped Nelia back into reality.

'Wes, I told you not to wait for me.' She grinned, turning to face the direction the noise had come from. Her eyes widened and her smile faded at the sight, which greeted her.

There was a Borg drone standing in the corner of her bedroom.

A chill suddenly washed her, out of all the reactions in the world she could have experienced Nelia found herself simply staring in open mouth disbelief.

The bedroom curtains were open the lights from the night-time City blazed into the dark room, reflecting of the Drone. She had never seen a Borg drone this close before, when she had been at the academy she had attended a guest lecture by Professor Annika Hansen on the subject of the Borg. It was the stillness of the Drone, which struck her the most. It just stood there staring back at her the circuit board on it's chest blinking away, the implants on it's mottled grey skin catching the light flashing at her as it breathed.

She did the strangest thing next, it even took her by surprise. Nelia closed her eyes. She waited in the darkness, the sound of her constant heart be thudding in her ears. It would go away if she just waited, she reassured herself. Nelia waited for what seemed like an eternity before she finally opened her eyes once more.

The Borg drone was gone, as she knew it would be.

It wasn't the first time that something like that had happened to her, but it was the first time that she had ever been afraid of her own subconscious. And she had been truly afraid.

'Nelia!' Her heart rate slowed, as she heard Wesley's voice calling her from the hallway.

Shrugging her shoulders she fought hard to bury her feelings, she didn't want him to see her like that. Nelia took a few moments to compose herself and a few deep breaths before she felt ready to face her fiancée, she was turning to leave the room when a sudden flash of light blinded her forcing her to close her eyes once again.

What happened next seemed to happen in a heart beat. Nelia felt a stiff cold metallic arm suddenly around her neck squeezing the breath out of her chest forcing her eyes open. Before she had a chance to react the Borg drone angled her body exposing the side of her neck. Nelia opened her mouth to scream but her voice was choked her throat as the Borg drone's assimilation tubes sunk into the flesh of her neck. Nelia struggled, she fought as hard as she could.

Just as soon as it had happened it was over. The Borg drone dropped Nelia she fell onto her knees, clutching at her neck. In another flash of light the Borg drone was gone.

Crumbled up in a heap on the floor she began to sob, she ran her slender fingers over the puncture marks on her neck.

The Borg drone hadn't been sent on a mission to assimilate her, it had been sent to extract something from her.


	7. Let's dance to Joy Division

_I'm back in Liverpool,_

_And everything seems the same,_

_But I worked something out last night,_

_That changed this little boys brain,_

_A small piece of advice,_

_That took twenty-two years in the make,_

_And I will break if for you know,_

_Please learn from my mistakes._

Let's dance to Joy Division- The Wombats

'No!' Martof screamed as he sat up in bed fighting hard to breath, clutching at his stomach where the Dax symbiont lay.

'Martof?' Kastra stirred questioning in the darkness of their bedroom, shifting she sat up in the bed next to him. She wanted to comfort him, she wanted to touch him but she held back.

'It's nothing Kas, it was just a bad dream go back to sleep.' He reassured her, Kastra noted the hollow tone in his voice. Martof heard his wife's heavy sigh of resignation as she silently lay back down, blinking in the darkness he waited listening to the sound of her breathing change as she once again fell deep into sleep.

Martof slipped out of bed, his head was spinning as he made his way out of the bedroom he wanted to see her he had to see her. He stumbled forward his feet leading the way, his mind was filled with pain and fear. Benjamin, Benjamin would have known what to do he would have known how to help him he had always been able to snap Dax back into reality. But Benjamin was gone, he wasn't gone like Jadzia or Ezri he wasn't dead his conciousness existed on a higher plane. But dead or alive, Martof had no-way to reach his old friend.

Martof suddenly snapped back into reality he found himself staring down at the sleeping form of his daughter. He'd needed to see her, he needed to check that she was still...there. Martof gently reach down brushing his hand across the soft light green skin of her cheek, tracing with his fingers the line of faded Trill spots, which ran down both sides of her head.

He'd lied it hadn't been a dream it had been a memory, which had woken him from his sleep. He hated lying to Kastra but she wouldn't understand, how could he explain to her that he'd been dreaming about his death...no not his death Jadzia's. That awful event had embedded itself deep into the Dax symbiont, the pain still felt as fresh as the day Jadzia herself had felt it. It had been the same for Ezri the nightmares, but she had learned over time to control them. She'd learned to embrace Jadzia's death as a part of the Dax symbiont, as a part of her. Martof had tried to do the same he'd tried to become one with the moment one with Dax and Jadzia, but he had failed. And the harder he tried the worse he seemed to fail, and the more intense the experience became.

It had been the closet the Dax symbiont had been to death itself, and what seemed to make it worse was that it had been so unexpected it literally had come out of no-where. In the back of her mind Jadzia had never expected to die, not like that at least and not at that time in her life. She had been afraid of the Dominion of course, but she had had faith in Benjamin and the Federation she had believed that whatever transpired during the war they would overcome it...together. Jadzia had believed that the course of her life would end quite differently to the way that it in fact had, she had envisaged old age with Worf, children, Grandchildren and a trip to the Symbiosis commission. However one thing Jadzia had always been was a realist, when she'd managed to regain conciousness after Dukat had attacked her she had known she was dying she could feel it as she'd felt it before, Jadzia knew there would be no come back. Before Julian had sedated her as Jadzia Dax for the last time, before the symbiont had been removed she had gained some comfort from the knowledge that her death had not been in vain. She'd only had to look to see the expression on Julian's face to see the fight pour back into him as he had struggled to safe her life to know, that her death would be the turning of the tide, she knew that whatever happened Benjamin would never stop until he'd crushed Dukat and the Dominion.

But none of that seemed to make it any easier for Martof or for Dax, Jadzia's death still haunted them.

STSTSTSTSTST

Danton tripped over his own feet as he entered the Federation Assembly rooms, he missed his trainers he couldn't get use to the regulation shoes he'd been forced to squeeze his feet into. He was late, he was always late but at least this time no-one seemed to notice. He scanned the room quickly searching for any familiar faces, it felt good for once not to be following in the wake of his parents or brilliant sisters. None of them would be attending the function, his parents were unable to get the shore leave from the _USS Titan_, but they had sent him a subspace message the night before wishing him luck. Danton's favourite sister Kestra was stuck on Bajor working with Bajorian Dolphins, and Leanna had refused point blank, he couldn't blame her she was still struggling to come to terms with they way Wesley had called off their engagement. Wesley had broken her heart, and irrevocably damaged the close relationship between his parents and Dr Crusher. The only member of his family who was attending the night's events was his Grandmother, and he had managed so far to skillfully evade her.

Danton slipped through the crowd making his way towards the refreshment table, just as he was about to reach the table the unworn sole of his shoe seemed slip against the polished marble of the floor spinning on one foot desperately trying to catch himself from failing his body suddenly lunged forward, before he could stop himself Danton was sent crashing into the person in front of him.

'Urgh!' The woman he had crashed into squealed as the plate of Klingon _Gagh _splashed against her chest, staining what appeared to be a new dress uniform.

'I'm so, so very sorry.' Danton gushed as he attempted to brush away the slime and the still moving worms from her front, his hands roaming over her chest.

'It's okay, it's okay it was just an accident. But, I'd really appreciate it if you stopped groping me now.' Danton's arms suddenly fell to the sides of his body, a thick frown crossing his features he looked up for the first time at the woman's whose body he had been so freely touching. She had to be without doubt the most beautiful woman he had ever set his eyes on, everything about her appeared to be perfect. Her face looked as if it had been hand sculpted by an artist her mouth was luxuriant and large while her nose was small and cute, peppered with a light dusting of freckles. Her eyes were beyond expressive and the most particular shade of green, they were almost the same shade as Data's dead cat Spot's eyes. But it was her hair which seemed to set the picture off, it was like a halo of bright scarlet curls surrounding her head.

'Oh I, I...' Danton's voice died in his throat, at the best of times he was unable to talk to girls, confronted by someone so beautiful he found himself struggling to breath let alone speak. He stared at her for what seemed like an eternity, she smiled at him and stared back. God she had an amazing smile.

A voice screamed in Danton's head, _'Say something you loser she thinks you're insane!'_

'I uh...I...I, I'm Danton, Danton Riker.' He stuttered, becoming unsure of his own name. She studied him for a few moments.

'Dr Riker?' She quizzed, her expression unreadable.

'Uh yyes, I'm the new Chief Medical officers of the Enter...the Enterprise.' A shiver darted down his spine as his skin suddenly connected with hers, she took his hand in her own and shook it firmly.

'It's nice to meet you Doctor Riker, I've heard a lot about you.' Danton suddenly froze if she had heard about him at all it would have been from his days at the Academy, where every day had been like a waking nightmare. The other cadets had made his life a misery from day one, he had failed to meet there expectations for someone who was born and raised aboard the Enterprise and the son of Captain William T Riker. Danton had never been anything like his Father he was weak, bad at anything athletic, and terrible with girls he had never had a girlfriend. He had always known that both his parents loved him he had never been in any doubt of that fact, but Danton had always felt that he was somewhat of a disappointment to his Father. Danton knew that he had expected his only son to be a little more like...him.

'Oh.' He simply whispered deflating in front of her, catching his eye a familiar figure suddenly loomed into sight.

'Hi Danton.' Wesley appeared interrupting the awkward moment, which had passed between Danton and the perfect girl.

'Wesley.' Danton shot back, it felt like a betrayal even acknowledging his existence.

'What happened to you?' Wesley questioned his attention turning back to the perfect girl, the stain on the front of her dress uniform catching his eye for the first time.

'It was nothing just an accident, I slipped and the Gagh kinda went everywhere.' She giggled, Danton frowned confused by the fact that she had lied about the incident. And then it suddenly hit him, so this was her this was the woman who had broken his sister's heart. So this was Nelia Hunter, he knew he would meet her that night she was to be his Captain but Danton had expected her to have horns and a tail. He could see why Wesley had given up almost everything for her, why he'd practically left his sister at the alter the weekend before they were due to get married. Danton would have done anything for her, he would have happily chewed off his own arms and served it to her on a golden plate if it would have made her smile.

'Do you want to get changed?' From the corner of her eye Nelia glanced at Danton, she grinned at him putting him suddenly at ease.

'No, I'll be fine.' She was about to turn back to Danton and speak, when a voice suddenly cut through the crowd calling out her and Wesley's names.

'Nelia, come on there's someone I want you to meet.' Wesley informed his hand brushing against her arm, as he attempted to lead her away.

'Well, it looks like neither of us are going to make much of an impression on the other tonight.' Nelia's words crushed Danton, he knew she hadn't intended to hurt him but she had hurt him.

'I'm Captain Hunter.' She grinned introducing herself briefly, as Wesley lead her away.

'So that's where you've been hiding.' The crackle of his Grandmother's voice suddenly filled Danton's head, it sounded like static and he could barely make it out.

'So, this is where you have been hiding from me.' Her voice was suddenly clearer as if she was standing directly behind him, Danton turned she was standing directly behind him.

'Grandma.' Originally Lwaxana Troi daughter of the fifth house had shuddered at the thought of being called 'Grandma', but her apprehension had soon melted the first time she had laid eyes on her first Grandchild. Lwaxana moved forward reaching out squeezing both of Danton's cheeks before planting a kiss on his reluctant mouth, he was beyond embarrassed.

'Hush now you're to much like your Mother so pent up, there is nothing wrong with a Grandmother lavishing affection upon her only Grandson.' She'd read his thoughts, Danton opened his mouth to speak but he knew by now there was no 'telling' his Grandmother he'd seen his Mother try and fail countless time.

'So that's the one that broke you're sister's heart, she's a mangy little home-wrecker.' Lwaxana exclaimed casting a glance over Danton's shoulder, her eyes narrowing as she watched Nelia and Wesley walking away together.

'She's not half the girl your sister is, scrawny little madame.' Lwaxana commented, Danton struggled to keep his thoughts to himself on the subject.

'Let's read her mind shall we, let's see what come tumbling out of that frizzy head of hers.'

'Grandma, don't do that it's not right.' She ignored him focusing all her skill, which was extensive on Nelia. She pulled back suddenly, shaking her head.

'What's wrong, what did you see?'

'It was nothing, there was nothing.' Lwaxana grinned, glancing at her Danton knew her well enough to know when she was lying.

'Grandma, have you ever tried Klingon _Gagh_?' Danton questioned attempting to change to subject, noticing the food behind him laid out on the refreshments table.

There had been nothing, Lwaxana had experienced encounters with races whose minds she couldn't read but this...this had been something else as if.

'Grandma!' She was snapped out of her thoughts, by the sound of her Grandson's impatient tone of voice.

It had been as if Nelia's head had been completely empty, but of course it wasn't.

STSTSTSTSTST

Nelia ran her hand across her neck, the puncture wounds from the Borg Drone were gone. She'd sat on her bedroom floor sobbing until Wesley had found her, she'd let him believe what he wanted to believe and he'd wanted to believe that her nerves had gotten the better of her. It wasn't the first time she had lied to him she been lying to him from the first moment they had met, her Mother had been right she was never going to be able to tell him the truth.

So it had never happened, there had never been a Borg Drone Nelia buried her feelings deep down inside.

'Lele!' She instantly recognised the voice, which greeted her there had only been one person who had ever called her 'Lele'. Jennifer Natasumi, Nelia had met Jen on her very first day at the Academy, in fact she was the first person she had met they had been room mates.

'Oh Lele, it's so good to see you.' Jen mused, wrapping her arms tightly around Nelia grinning broadly. Nelia had always lamented the fact that they had lost touch after their graduation, that was the reason she had jumped at the chance of requesting Jen as the Enterprise's new CONN officer.

'You look so...' They both commented in unison, as they pulled back studying each other. Jen had changed dramatically from the last time Nelia had seen her, the young Japanese woman had sprouted upwards and was now at least an inch taller than Nelia, she'd also stopped murdering her hair with peroxide. But Jen hadn't stopped experimenting with styles, although the colour had returned to a luscious black lacquer her hair had been layered and she had a server fridge, which ended just bellow her eyebrows.

'You haven't changed.' Jen mused, out of the corner of her eye noticing Wesley for the first time.

'Hey Wes, it's good to see you again.' Jen giggled to herself, changing the subject before Nelia or Wesley had a chance to keep up.

'It's good to see you...'

'Can I borrow her, for a minute?' Although it sounded like a question it was more of a statement, and before Wesley could respond Jen had dragged Nelia away.

'Jen, we're not in the Academy any more you can't drag me around like this I'm your senior officer.' Nelia exclaimed, as she was dragged through the crowd by a junior grade Lieutenant.

'Oh relax LeLe, no-one is looking at you.'

'Jen, they all came here to look at me!' Jen suddenly paused, turning to face her friend chewing nervously on the flesh of her bottom lip.

'Well this is important...this is about you. I know Nelia.'

_I know Nelia_, those three little words had the power to collapse Nelia's world.


	8. Prescilla

Star trek is owned by Paramount : D

The lyrics belong to Bat for lashes

I'm soz this is a little short, but for n e one who reads it I hope u enjoy it and please let me know what u think: D

_To live life outside the world,_

_To break the cross that bears her name,_

_She's not you're Queen any more,_

_Queen of the highway,_

_Needs something better than running away._

Prescilla- Bat for lashes

_He was watching her, always watching her._

_That had been one of the many things that had alerted Ezri to the truth. She'd been suspicious from the first moment he had entered their home, there had been something different about him he seemed to stand apart from the world. But he was always watching, he would smile and joke but behind the façade there was a voyeur silently waiting. _

_So Ezri Dax had decided to watch and wait herself. Patience wasn't something that Ezri or the Dax symbiont had a great abundance of, but for Nelia she had sat back and gritted her teeth while she bided her time._

_And this was for Nelia, she had told herself over and over again in an attempt to smooth away some of the guilt she felt. The worst thing was that she could see that her daughter was failing in love with him, she was the one that was going to break Nelia's heart._

_That night Ezri had been more than tired she'd felt as if the life had been drained out of her but she forced herself, she forced herself to get up when she'd heard him leaving Nelia's bedroom._

_She found him standing in the kitchen staring, staring out into the darkness, which surrounded them silent._

_'Computer lights,' Ezri had commanded breaking the silent spell, which had fallen over her home. She studied him at first waiting for a reaction, it was the leftover scientist in her. He did nothing he just stood with his back facing her he didn't even turn his head, it was the arrogance she had expected._

_'I thought you were asleep.' When he finally spoke his voice was filled with something akin to sorrow._

_'Sit down.' Ezri motioned the warmth suddenly leaving her voice, it was a command firm and controlled the other part of Dax suddenly emerged. He turned to face her opening his mouth to speak but Ezri remained firm and resolute she pointed to one of the metal stools, which sat around the marble kitchen counter in the centre of the room. He took her by surprise obeying her command, pulling the stool out away from the counter he despondently sat down. His behaviour surprised her, they both new that with a click of his ebony fingers who could have blasted her out of existence._

_'I could still do that,' Flash grinned reading her thoughts, Ezri rolled her eyes a heavy frown falling across her features. Maybe he wasn't that different from the other members of the Continuum she had encountered._

_'I like you, I can see why Q chose you to be the guardian of his daughter.' Before Ezri could respond she suddenly found herself sitting on one of the stools opposite Flash with a Moscow mule cocktail in her hand._

_'Drink up it's one of your favourites.'_

_Trying to keep her temper under control, Ezri placed her drink down on the smooth cold marble counter in front of her._

_'I'm not a toy.' She informed, watching as the young man opposite her click his fingers her drink vanishing in a flash of white light._

_'You know it's always a mistake meeting the parents, I told Nelia I didn't want to come here I did everything I could to change her mind, I knew that if I met you...' Flash broke of his sentence shrugging his shoulders, he glanced at her._

_'But then you already know all this without reading my mind, you're bright Ezri Dax.' He chuckled, there was a part of Ezri a large part of her in fact that was warming to the young man in her kitchen. He was quick, cute and most importantly funny she could see why Nelia had fallen for him so hard and so quickly. But Ezri couldn't, she wouldn't let herself be swayed by the charming individual in front of her._

_'What are you doing here? I made an agreement with Q...' Flash raised his hand silencing Ezri._

_'And that still stands, you're still Nelia's guardian the Continuum want nothing to do with her I was just here as an observer I made a promise to Q.' Ezri raised her eyebrow at his statement, causing a sheepish expression to creep across his features._

_'Well that was how it was supposed to be in theory, but then I...I met her.' She suddenly let slip a chuckle it had been the same way for her, she'd never wanted a child any child until she clapped eyes on Nelia and from then on Dax had been a slave to her daughter's will. There was something about Nelia, which instantly drew people to her._

_'This was inevitable I suppose, I'm compromised I can't protect her like this.' Ezri's ears suddenly shot up at the word 'protect'._

_'Protect, protect Nelia from what?' She question the sound of desperation suddenly flooding her voice. Flash didn't answer her._

_'Protect Nelia from, what?' Her tone of voice suddenly changed from one of desperation to one of demanding._

_'From everything.' He muttered finally. _

_'But she's a Q...'_

_'No she isn't,' Flash mumbled cutting Ezri off mid sentence._

_'...you've forgotten, she's only half Q the rest of her is human.'_


	9. Viva la Vida

Star trek is owned by Paramount : D

The lyrics belong to Coldplay.

_I used to rule the world,_

_Seas would rise when I gave the word,_

_Now in the morning I sweep alone,_

_Sweep the streets I use to own,_

_I use to roll the dice,_

_Feel the fear in my enemy's eyes,_

_Listen as the crowd would sing;_

_'Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!'_

_One minute I held the key,_

_Next the walls were closed on me,_

_And I discovered that my castles stand,_

_Upon pillars of sand, pillars of sand._

Viva La Vida-Coldplay

He watched her slip away from the group. When he finally caught sight of her again she had slipped out through a set of sliding glass doors and was standing out on a balcony. She stood with her back to him staring up at the starry sky, which was set ablaze every now and then by a flash and spark from brightly coloured fireworks.

As she watched the fireworks exploding around her all she could think was 'god I'm glad I'm up here and not down there', for as far back as she could remember she'd always had a fear of fireworks. Nelia was suddenly snapped out of her thoughts by a sound behind her, a shallow in take of breath. She turned smiling expecting to see Wesley, it wasn't Wesley her green eyes widened her smile broadening.

It was him...

'You came!' She squealed suddenly regressing back to a child-like state as she quickly closed the space between them, wrapping her arms around the chest of the man standing in front of her. He smiled staring down at the scarlet crown of her head. Even holding her then there was something, something missing between them.

'Well I did promise you I would,' He grinned, when they finally parted.

'I have a gift for you.' He motioned taking her by surprise, from behind his a small square mint green box suddenly appeared.

'Oh Julian!' Nelia giggled in delight as she took the box from her adopted Father's hands, running her fingers over the silver edges.

'Macarons!' She beamed her eyes widening with pleasure as she prized off the thin mint green lid. Nervously Dr Bashir study the expression on her face, it had been a long time since they'd last been together and he was afraid that the gulf that had always existed between them created in part by Dax would have grown wider still over time.

'I hope they're still your favourites?' Her eyes ran over the small pink and green meringue-like domed pastries.

'Rose and pistachio.' Nelia whispered softly, swallowing hard she lifted her head back up flashing Julian her brightest smile.

'Thank you.' An awkwardness suddenly fell between the pair, as they both seemed to stare at each other searching themselves for some topic of conversation. She studied the box in her hands for a few moments.

'These weren't replicated were they?' Seizing the topic before silence had a chance to fall between them once again, Julian suddenly became animated.

'No I purchased those from a little bakery in Paris, it's close to the academy.'

'Richard!' Nelia motioned as she watched real warmth flood into the face of her adopted Father at the mention of his son's name.

'So he's at the academy now, I can't believe it and in Paris no less.' Nelia watched as Julian puffed out slightly with paternal pride, in the back of her mind however she felt a stab of sadness she'd never been able to make him look like that. As she stood there the realisation of a deep dark inner fear suddenly flooded her, Nelia had always been afraid of being alone she remembered what it was like to be isolated, and now with Ezri gone she felt it even more keenly.

'Ric's in his first year at the academy, and his Mother and I are very proud of him.' An expression Nelia couldn't read suddenly hovered over the face of the middle aged man in front of her.

'And you, Nelia I am so proud of you and I know that if Ezri was alive she would be just as proud if not prouder. I know that things haven't always been...easy between us, but I do care about you.' She didn't speak reaching out she wrapped her arms around his waist hugging Julian hard.

'Thank you.' She whispered again.

STSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTST

_Her heart was beating like the loudest drum in her chest, she had never been so afraid. Her ears were ringing as she was dragged through a mass of people. Her arms were pulled out roughly behind her back and in her numbness she could feel her hands being bound. She raised her head up proudly letting the dignity course through her. She wouldn't run, she wouldn't show her fear she wouldn't let them win they had stripped everything away from her but she wouldn't let them take this...not her last moments._

_For all the fear she felt there was another part of her, which just wanted the end to come she wanted the misery to pass._

_'This too shall pass.' She whispered softly to herself, it was a strange motto but it was one she had carried with her from birth and it gave her comfort now in this her darkest hour._

_The numbness, which had protected her suddenly began to fade as she was lead towards a glowing golden cart she looked around as she was tossed into the back unceremoniously. The grey sky above her suddenly cracked the rain gushing down upon her, in the back of the cart she struggled against the cold and the gilt surface, which had become slippery in the wet._

_Her eyes widened as the cart grew closer to the centre of the city. Clock work toys were waiting for her brightly coloured wind-up robots now seemed to populate her beloved city. She was pulled out of the golden cart and found herself standing on a wooden scaffold in the shadow of a terrifying guillotine._

_She said nothing fighting to contain her bravery of her exterior as she was strapped onto a board and rolled under the glinting blade, the rain still beating down on her._

_'It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known.' She held her breath and waited squeezing her eyes shut, enveloping herself in darkness._

_'Kas!' Her eyes suddenly shot opened at the sound of his oh-so familiar voice._

_'Martof.' The life flowed back into her the fear and the desperate need to survive, the desire to be with him._

_'Martof, Martof help me!' A terrified scream bubbled up from the pit of Kastra's stomach. She opened her eyes but from the angle she was lying under the blade she couldn't see anything. Kastra struggled attempting to free her hands from the ropes and her body from the leather straps, which held her in place. The wind stirred and Kastra's ears were filled with the blood curdling sound of the blade above her rattling in the sudden change of air current._

_'Oh Martof...no!' A scream ripped out of her. Kastra was flooded by the feeling of separation, separation from the table she had been strapped onto and separation from the vice like grip around her neck._

_'It's okay Kas, it's okay I've got you.' She felt warmth, warmth of a pair of arms wrapped tightly around her. She felt safe like always she always felt safe when she was with him, he made her feel so safe even now._

_'It was coming...it was coming I couldn't stop it!' Kastra gasped incoherently as she clung to Martof staring desperately up at his face._

_'It's going to get in.' A smile slipped across Martof's features an infuriating self assured smile._

_'No it can't get in, Kas you have to trust me now you have to go.'_

_'Go!' The word slipped from her mouth, she couldn't believe what he was saying._

_'Go what no, no I wont leave you.' He gripped her arm pulling her along in his wake as he stared to move, glancing nervously over his shoulder._

_'The last of the escape pods is waiting you have to be on it, take Marnie.' He pulled her hand out slipping a small bright green gem stone into her palm._

_'Take Marnie keep her safe take her home with you and keep her safe, there's no-one in the world for her but you now.' Martof's voice fell to a whispered wincing as he clutched at his side, she watched the colour drain slightly from his face and she knew it Kastra could feel it he was dying._

_'Martof.' Still clutching the emerald coloured gem tightly in her hand, she stared to realise that he was suddenly growing further and further away from her._

_'Dax!' There was another voice a female voice calling from him, calling that other name._

_Kastra felt herself being lifted up off the ground being pulled higher and higher up, she could see everything._

_'Dax!' Behind Martof she could see a figure, it had the body of a woman but it's hair or at least what Kastra believed to be it's hair seemed to be made up of fire raging away on the top of her head, but it was the face that started Kastra the most. Her head seemed to spin as she moved turning and turning and on each of the four sides the figure had a different face._

Kastra woke with a start as she book, which had been resting on her lap slipped out of her resting fingers and onto the floor with a thud. For a moment she felt as if she was lost, still lost in her dream but her body soon began to grow accustomed to her surroundings. She was sitting curled up in the co-pilot's seat of a shuttle craft with a thin grey blanket draped over her.

'Bad dream.' Martof mused, as he sat next to her jabbing at the bleeping panel in front of him. Kastra didn't reply, as she leaned down retrieving the book from the floor placing it back on her lap. Martof rolled his eyes struggling with the silence.

'If it's giving you nightmares you should stop reading it, Charles Dickens can be a little...heavy.' Absent-mindedly she traced the outline of the faded gilt lettering on the cover, _A tale of two cities._

'No I've found it rather illuminating, there is nothing like this in the literature at home.' Glancing at her from the corner of his eye he couldn't help but smile.

'Well I'm glad you like it. You know that was one of Jadzia's favourite books Worf gave it to Ezri when,' Cutting Martof off mid-sentence Kastra suddenly stood up, an irritated expression falling across her features.

'I'm going to check on Marnie.' She stated plainly walking away from him into the back of the shuttle craft, just in time to miss the familiar outline of Deep Space Nine as it floated into Martof's line of sight.


	10. LES Artistes

_Change, change, change,  
I want to get up out of my skin,  
Tell you what,  
If I can shake it,  
I'm 'a make this ,  
Something worth dreaming of._

L.E.S Artistes- Santogold

_She felt as if she was slipping away, the action taking place around her seemed to blur._

_She was dying, the pain that had first been agonizing suddenly ebbed away she felt nothing. From the corner of her eye she saw a flash of light. Her ears were filled with the pounding of her own heartbeat, as a shadow suddenly loomed into her fading sight._

_'If you wish to continue your merger existence as you have known it, take my hand.' The arrogant tone of voice rattled through her head, she knew that tone and she knew that voice._

_'No...' Was her reply she wasn't sure whether she had spoken it or simply thought it, in the end it didn't really matter she was result in her decision that she would rather die._

_'Why do humans have to be so,'_

_'Aunt Kathy we need you.' A familiar male voice interjected._

_Her paused seemed to last forever as her will slowly slipped away from her, she could hear her heartbeat slow._

_'Please...' It was a simple statement and if had come from anyone else any other race Kathryn Janeway would have believed it to be just another ploy, but it came from a Q and it was an admission of need and of weakness. _

_After hearing the word Kathryn summoned up what remained of her strength reaching out her hand taking the grasp of the young eager man in front of her._

STSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTST

'Lieutenant Barinya.' A sly smile slipped across Roo's at the sound of the female voice behind him raising his eyebrow, mischievously he kept walking.

'Lieutenant Barinya.' She called his name again, but he didn't respond pretending instead not to have heard her.

'Rupert, wait.' He slowed enough for her to catch up to him, grinning as she appeared next to him.

'G'day bugalugs, nice wings.' Roo motioned in a thick Australian accent, nodding towards the pair of multicoloured wings on the young woman's back.

'Oh these,' She giggled, tucking a strand loose strand of rich chestnut hair behind her ear as she spoke.

'...these are just for the children they're learning about, oh hang on I wanted to ask you something.' She mused changing her the topic of conversation, as she suddenly remembered the reason why she had been calling his name in the first place.

'You know I'd do anything for you Miss Lemonie.' Roo teased watching gleefully as a faint blush coloured her dark cheeks.

'I was hoping you'd say that.' She grinned back at him, linking her arm playfully in his. Although he'd always been attracted to the Enterprise's young Hallian teacher Prem Lemonie his feelings for her had never passed that of harmless flirtation.

'I visited stellar cartography with a number of the children yesterday, Ensign Hathaway was helping us look for a number of planets for the class project...and,' Prem paused for breath before continuing.

',and well you see he couldn't find any of them it was like they'd all just vanished. Anyway since you're the chief officer of Science I was wondering if you would help us find them.'

'I'm free this arvo, bring the ankle bitters round stellar at 13.00 hours.' A look of confusing ran across Prem's features as she tried to decipher what Roo had just said, the more she spent time with him the easier it seemed to become.

'So you want be to bring the children to stellar cartography this afternoon at 13.00 hours.' Prem chuckled her chest puffing out a little with pride, there weren't many alien languages she couldn't master.

'Bonzer.' At the sight of the look of confusion washing over the young Hallian female's features Roo tried his hardest to stifle a snigger, he liked keeping her on her toes.

Her grasp slipped out of his as she folded her arms tightly across her chest fixing him with a stare. Hallians were a telepathic race when he'd first met her she'd played on that fact giving him knowing looks trying to catch him out, but overtime he'd realised that Prem had little telepathic ability. The moment between them soon evaporated into giggles as Prem intertwined her arm once again in Roo's strong grasp.

'You know I had the strangest dream last night,' She informed absent-mindedly changing the topic once again, he rolled his eyes grinning at her.

STSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTST

The shuttle craft docked, he'd done this thousands of times before and never thought anything of it but suddenly inexplicably the feelings welled up inside of him.

'Come on now Marnie it's time to wake up.' In the back of his mind muffled and distant he could hear the sound of Kastra rousing his daughter from her sleep. Getting from his chair everything seemed to pass in a blur in moments he was out of the shuttle craft, travelling in a turbo lift and then finally standing on the promenade.

The memories began to wash over him as if they had been waves, everywhere his eye seemed to dart a new memory emerged. Martof remembered Jadzia, how many times had she eaten in the Klingon restaurant to the right of him or spent entire nights playing Tongo in Quark's bar. The whole of Deep Space Nine seemed to hum with her, Jadzia's energy and her memories Martof remembered how intimidating it had been for Ezri when she'd first arrived. However it had been different for Ezri she'd been strong and it hadn't taken her long to settle in to her own life on the station, she had begun tentatively walking in Jadzia's footsteps but by the end she had forged a life for herself.

But Martof wasn't Jadzia or Ezri, the moment he stepped onto the promenade he realised that he would never again be able to build a life for himself again on the station, the realisation served to strengthen his determination.

And then from the distance he saw her she'd changed little over the years her wrinkles were a little more defined and her bright auburn hair was streaked with a slash of grey, but overall she looked just the same old Kira Nerys.

'Is she here yet?' Quark questioned hurriedly puffing away breathlessly as he appeared next to Kira.

'Is who here yet?' Kira mused raising her eyebrow, as she folded her arms tightly across her chest.

'Dax! Who else? This time I hope she's a blonde.' Quark motioned tugging on the edges of his jacket nervously, behind his back a knowing look passed between Kira and her son who was standing next to her expectantly. A weak smile flashed across the middle aged Bajorian woman's features as she fought hard to hide her true feelings of sorrow, meeting a new Dax meant that Ezri was dead. Kira knew that Ezri had been ill for a long time the last time that she had seen her she'd been a shadow of her former self Kira could see that she wanted to die the only reason she had clung on so long to life was because of Nelia, instinctively Kira reached out brushing the fabric of her soft hand against Ben's. She remembered how hard it had been adjusting to Ezri's presence on the Station after Jadzia's death, but it had felt different Jadzia had been ripped away from them having Ezri around seeing her everyday was like for Kira at least being able to hold onto a part of her former friend. She wished she could have been there when Ezri had died she never had the chance to say good-bye the way that Julian, Worf and Jake had, Kira regretted never having the chance to tell Ezri what her friendship had meant to her. She also felt guilty towards Nelia, Kira had watched out for Jake when his Father had joined the Prophets she still kept in touch with him now, but she had never once contacted Nelia. She couldn't bring herself to do it she could face Nelia's desolation, Kira had felt for most of her life death had followed her she'd killed and she'd had good friends die in her arms she couldn't face it any more she was too old. She'd been to much of a coward to even go to Ezri's funeral she'd sent Ben in her stead.

'Oh this is for you.' Quark informed casually thrusting one of the dozen Bajoran lilacs he was clutching tightly in his hand in Kira's face.

'Kira!' Kira's ears suddenly pricked up at the sound of a unfamiliar voice calling her name and a flash of bright blonde hair, for a moment she felt as if Quark was going to get what he had wished for but then a figure appeared in front of her and she couldn't help but smile.

'For you.' Quark informed as he brushed past Martof presenting Kastra with the bunch of Bajoran lilacs, she took them without a second thought.

'Quark.' Ben interrupted, placing her hand on her son's arm Kira stopped him before he could say any more.

Quark paused waiting studying the features of the woman in front of him she certainly wasn't Jadzia, she wasn't cute like Ezri either she was blonde with a regal self-possessed presence.

'Dax,' The Ferengi bar keeper paused scratching his chin turning his head from side to side, noticing for the first time that the woman in front of him didn't have any spots.

'Yes.' A voice answered.

'Where are your...' Quark waved his hand down the side of his face as he spoke, glancing at Martof.

'...spots?'

'Right over here with me.' Martof grinned back, his grin widening into a chuckle as he watched the Ferengi glance from him to Kastra and back again the look of shock and disappointment on his face was palpable.

'Dax...but you're a...you're a...'

'I think the word you're looking for is male, I'm a male now.' Martof purred running his fingers across Quark's lobes, chuckling as the Ferengi pushed his hand away in disgust.

'This isn't fair it was my turn, it was my turn.' Quark complained to himself.

'Well old friend if it's any consolation I promise next time I'll select a female to be my host.' Martof smirked, Quark's eyes doubtfully ran over the tall, dark strapping Trill male.

'If I live that long.' Quark groaned as Martof cheerfully pulled him into an awkward hug slapping him on the back hard as he released him.

'It's good to see you again Quark.' Martof said meaning it, before turning to greet Kira and Ben.

'Nerys my friend.' He mused simply leaning down wrapping his arms tightly around her hugging her hard, he felt her tense a little against him but was relieved when she finally relaxed in his arms.

'Dax, you remember my son Ben he'll be serving with you on the Enterprise.' When they parted Kira nodded towards the half Bajoran half Cardassian young man who was hovering next to her wearing a Star fleet Ensigns uniform.

'Ben!' Martof gaped unable to believe the transformation in the young man the last time Ezri had seen him had been on Earth four years ago when she'd invited most of her old friends to watch Nelia as Titania in one of the Academy's productions of _A Midsummer night's dream_.

'It's good to see you Ben.' Martof grinned, Ben wasn't sure how to respond to the individual in front of him he'd always called Ezri Aunty it would feel strange calling Dax Sir.

'Martof, my names Martof.' Martof informed as if reading the younger male's mind, a relaxed smile slipped over Ben's features.

'Martof.' He spoke testing the new name on his lips, he preferred the sound of Dax.

'Martof.' Kastra whispered nervously the way the Quark was looking at her was unnerving her.

'Nerys, Quark, Ben this is my wife Kastra Nova.' Kira and Ben studied Kastra silently, while Quark stooped pressing his palms together.

'Your highness.' It had been a long time since Kastra had been greeted in such a manner by her formal title, she'd never realised how much she missed her old life.

'No need for that Quark, Kas gave all that up when she married me.' Martof briskly informed, he wasn't trying to be callous he knew the old Ferengi better than anyone and he wasn't prepared to let his wife be taken advantage of.

'And this is my daughter Marnie.' Sheepishly from behind Kastra appeared a small Orion girl with pale green skin, jet black hair and faded Trill spots running down the sides of her face.

'It's nice to meet you Marnie, my name is Kira Nerys.' Kira grinned, kneeling in front of the young girl taking Marnie's hand in her own.

'You're a Bajoran.' Marnie stated running her stubby green index finger down the ridges of Kira's nose.

'Yes I am, and that tickles.' The Bajoran woman giggled as she straightened up glancing once again at Martof.

'Well, if you'd like to follow me Quark has prepared dinner for us in his bar.' Kira stated slipping with ease into the role of host.

Martof held back watching silently as Kira, Ben, Kastra and Marnie walked towards the entrance of Quark's bar, reaching out he caught to Ferengi by the fabric of his arm.

'We need to talk.' Martof whispered through a tight forced smile.


End file.
